Traveling lock for gun carriages



Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES BRYAN P. JOYCE, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

TRAVELING- LOCK FOR GUN CABRIAGES.

Application filed September 6, 1923. Serial No. 661,266.

(man UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L, 825.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRYAN P. JoYcE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, county of Scott, and'State of I Iowa, have invented an Improvement 1!) cradle in travel so as to relieve the carriage g of the unbalanced weight of the gun.

The principal object of the present inven tion then is to provide means for locking the n in its retracted or traveling position. Another object is the provision of such 26 means which may be readily movedfrom its locking position wa when it is desired to fire the gun. %ith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without de arting from the s irit of the invention. practical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which a Fig. 1 is a partial lan view of the trail with the locking mec anism;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the locking mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-A of a Fig.3.

ferring to the drawing by numerals of reference:

I have shown a gun provided with a split trail having trail members 4 and 5. Afiixed to the trail member 4 at a point intermediate of its length is a U-shaped clip 6. Pivotall mounted on this 0 'p by means of a ho t 8 is a supporting member 7 which carries the gun locking device. The clip 6 is ping of the supporting member.

to a position out of the provided with undercut guide ways 9 to receive portions 10 of the supporting member 7 to guide said supporting member in its pivotal movement and also to prevent tip- Mounted on the member 5 of the trail at a point substantially opposite the clip 6 is another U-shaped clip 11. This clip is provided with a lug 12 grooved as at 13 to receive the free end of the supporting member 7 to retain this member in operatlve position.

When it isdesired to fire the gun the supporting member is swung to inoperative position upon the trail member 4. When it is desired to lock the gun in its traveling position the supporting member is swung to its operative position at an angle to this trail member w1th its end resting in the roove 13 of the lug 12.

The lug 12 at a point adjacent the groove is provided with a slot 14. Pivotally mounted on the supporting member near the end which is received in the groove 13 is a cam member 15 movable in the slot 14. This cam member is mounted on a shaft 16 'ournaled in the supporting member 7 and detachably retained therein by means of a cotter pin 17 The cam member 15 is actuated by a crank 18 provided with a spring pressed handle 19 carrying a plunger 20.

A recess 21 in one side of the supporting member 7 is adapted to receive this plunger to hold the cam member in looking position. By means of this cam the supporting member 7 is securely fastened in its operative or traveling position.

Means are provided on the supporting member to cooperate with the n to retain the gun in traveling position. arious types of retaining means may be employed. The type I have found in practice referable is illustrated in the drawmg and es'cribed below.

Intermediate its length and on its upper side the supporting member is provided with a socket formed as by guide ways 22. The

n at its rear end is provided with a lug 23.

rooves 24 are formed in either side of this lug in such a manner that the lug may be readily slid into and between the lde ways his lug 23 22 on the supportin member. on its under side is further provided with a recess 25 for a purpose which W111 hereinafter appear.

A slot 26 is formed in the upper side of the supporting member between the guide ways 22 in a position to lie beneath the recess .in the traveling position of the gun. livotally mounted by means of a shaft 27 on the supporting member is a cam 28 adapted to move in the recess and slot formed in the lug and supporting member respectively. This-cam is actuated by a crank 29 provided with a spring pressed handle 30 carrying a plunger 31. On opposite sides of the shaft 27' and at points equi-di'stant therefrom the front wall of the su) ortin member is formed with recesses 32 and These recesses are adapted to receive the plunger on the handle 30. By means of its handle the cam may be swung in the recess 25 and slot 26 so as to lock or release the lug from its seat between the guide ways 22.

' In traveling position the supporting member is first swung across the trails the gun -is. then retracted on its cradle until the grooves on the lugs pass between the guide ways 22;the cam 28 is then moved into position where it will lock the lug between said guidcways. To prevent undue rearward movement of the lug in its .guide ways the cam shaft 27 at its rear end is provided with a. circular head 34, this head lies against the rear side of the supporting member 7 and projects beyond the bottom of the guide ways 22 to contact with the lug and prevent undue rearward movement thereof.

Mounted on the member 4 and at a distance from the pivot 8 equal to the length of the supporting arm 7 is a plate 35; this plate is provided with a lug 36 formed with a groove in which is received the free end of arm 7 when the same is moved to inoperative position for firing of the gun. A recess 37 is provided in the base of this lug adapted to receive the cam lock l5 for securing the supporting member in its inoperative or firing position.

The plate 35 may be riveted, bolted or otherwise secured to the trail member 4, and while I have attached it to this trail member at a position *forward of the, pivot 8 it is obvious that it might as well be. located rearwardly thereof.

As shown the lug is provided with grooves to slide in guide-ways in the supporting member. In practice any other type of connection might readily be employed, and it is obvious that for the cam locking means 15 and 28 any'other suitable type of locking means might be substituted.-

lVhilc in practice I have found it better to provide the clips 6 and 11 as separate members of my invention these might as v readily be made integral with the trail members.

I claim: 1. A traveling lock forgun carriages of the split trail type, including a supporting member pivotally mounted on one trail member and adapted to be swung from inoperative position on said trail member to opera tive position at an angle thereto, means guiding said supporting member in its pivotal movement, a lug on the other trail member to receive the free end of said supporting member in operative position and alug-on the first mentioned trail member to receive the free end of said supporting member in inoperative position, means cooperating with said lugs to lock said supporting member in either position, guide ways on said supporting member, :1 lug on the gun adapted to enter said guide ways when the gun is moved to traveling position, means to limit the movement of the gun in said guide ways, said gun lug provided with a recess, and a cam member pivotally mounted on said supporting member and adapted to enter said recess for locking the gun in traveling position and means for maintaining said cam member in locked or unlocked position.

2. A traveling lock for gun carriages of the split trail type, including a, supporting member pivotally mounted on one trail member and adapted to be swung from inoperative position on said trail member to opera tive position at an angle thereto, a lug on the other trail member to receive a portion of said supporting member in operative position, 3, lug on said first named trail member to receive a portion of said supporting member in inoperative position, means cooperating with said lugs to lock said supporting memberin either position, guide ways on said locking member, :1. lug .on the gunadapted to enter said guide ways when the gun is moved to traveling position, said gun lug provided with a reces, a locking member mounted on said ing member and adapted to enter said and means to maintain said locking member 'in locked or unlocked position.

supportv in inoperative position, means to lock said supporting member in either position, guide ways on said supporting member, a lug on the gun adapted to enter said ide ways when the gun is moved to traveling position, said lug provided with a recess and a loc member mounted on said supporting member and adapted to enter said r 4. A traveling lock for gun carriages of the split trail type, including a supportingber, and adap member pivotall mounted on one trail member and adapte to be swung from, inoperative position on said trail member to operative position at an angle thereto, 9, lug on the other trail member to receive a portion of said lockin member in operative position, a lug on said %rst named trail member to receive a portion of said locking member in inoperative position, means to lock said supporting member in either position, a socket on said supporting member, a lug on the gun adapted to enter said socket when the un is moved to traveling position, said gun ug rovided with a recess and a locking mem r mounted on said su porting member and adapted to enter sai recess.

' 5. A traveling lock for carriages of the s lit trail type, includlng a supporting mem r pivotall mounted on one trail memto be swung from inoperative position on said trail member to operative position at an angle thereto, securin means on each trail member to maintain sai supporting member in operative and inoperatlve positions, a socket on said supporting member, a l on the gun adapted to enter said socket w on the gun is moved to traveling position, said gun lug provided with a recess and a locking member mounted on said supporting member and adapted to enter said recess.

6. A traveling lock for gun carriages of the split trail type, including a. supporting 7. A traveling lock for n carriages of the split trail t pe, including a supportin member pivota ly mounted on one tral member and adapted to be swung from inoperative position on said trail member to operative position at an angle thereto, a socket on said supporting member and a lug on the gun adapted to enter said socket, said supporting member and lug being formed wit recesses, and means engaging in said recesses for locking said lug in said socket.

8. A traveling lock for gun carriages of V the split trail type, including a supportin member ada ted to extend from one trai member to t e other, a socket on said supporting member, a lug on the gun adapted to enter said socket, said gun lug provided with a recess and lockin means on said supporting member movab e into said recess to lock said lug in said socket.

BRYAN P. JOYCE. 

